The Cost of Something Precious
by Circle of Phoenix
Summary: Memories tell us who we are. Sometimes, a little reminder is a good thing. But what about when something keeps it from coming back? FF7-game centric
1. Puppet

"_Cloud..."_

"Yeah?"

"_Do you remember anything?"_

"No."

"_Do you remember any of us?"_

"No."

"_Don't you want to?"_

"Want to what?"

"_Remember... us?"_

"...I don't think that's a very good idea."

"_Why? Why don't you want to remember?"_

"He... He could come back and take it all away again."

"_But you're the one who controls that."_

"I still don't want to remember."

"_Cloud... please understand. Sometimes we have no choice when it comes to our memories."_

"No... Don't make me..."

"_Remember. Remember all of us Cloud. We've earned that much."_

(break)

He came to with a gasping breath, pain wracking the corners of his brain as the young man jerked away from the tangle of blankets. His eyes darted around the corners of the room and then seemed to freeze on a presence in the doorway. A shuffle of nervous feet brought the SOLDIER to a smile as he called himself a fool for reacting to a nightmare in that way.

"What's wrong, Marlene?" he asked.

"I had a bad dream and daddy hasn't come back yet..." The little girl answered him. "Can... can I stay here?"

Cloud frowned for a moment. "Where's Tifa?"

"With daddy. Please, Cloud. I won't make a noise." she begged him.

"I've a better idea." Cloud answered her. "Let's go to the kitchen, find that icecream Tifa has been saving and watch a movie. What do you say?"

Marlene's eyes widened. "Really? But... it's really late and I'm supposed to be in bed."

"I had a bad dream to, kid. It'll help both of us." he pushed. Slipping out of bed, Cloud took the little girl's hand in his own and brought her with him up the stairs and into the bar proper. The Seventh Heaven was a haven of sorts to all sorts of people. With Cloud recently recovering from Mako Poisoning and Barret leading the others into unmentionable trouble, the Soldier had been left to care for the young girl.

Marlene was inquisitive and bright. She knew how things were done and adored patterns and flowers...

She was the kind of kid Cloud would have named little sister if given a chance to have one.

"Cloud?"

"Yes, Marlene?" he answered.

"Is it true you really lost all your memories?" Marlene asked.

He was silent as he raided the dish cabinet and nabbed a couple of spoons from the drying rack. Opening the freezer, he carefully reached in for the ice cream and set it on the counter between them.

"That's right. I was really sick, Marlene. That illness took something precious from me... but... I think that could be a good thing too." he stated softly.

"Why? Aren't memories good to have? Daddy says they tell us important things. That without them we wouldn't know what was right or wrong." she answered.

Cloud paused for a moment to scoop out the ice cream. "I don't think that's necessarily true, Marlene. I know what's good or bad. I know who I am, even if I don't always have a reason behind it. Memories are both painful and sweet, that is true. We can learn a lot from them. But there's a chance I may never recover mine."

"Does that mean you're not sad about it?" Marlene asked as she took a bowl of ice cream Cloud held out to her.

"No. It just means that I have to make new memories to fill in the gaps left by the old ones. What do you think, want to help me with that?" Cloud answered.

Marlene followed him into the living room area where the Soldier grabbed one of her favorite movies and placed the video into the player. Hitting the play button, Cloud rejoined her on the couch and tucked a blanket around her as she bit into the ice cream.

"I think I can do that." Marlene decided. "I'll help you fill in those gaps until there's nothing missing."

"Thank you, Marlene." Cloud Strife answered her. "I... could really use your help right now."

(break)

"_You'll have to remember one day, Cloud."_

"I'm not ready to..."

"_Time is growing short. What happens when it's Marlene who will pay the price if you don't remember? Just like..."_

"I'm not discussing that with you. Ever."

"_You can't avoid your fate forever, Cloud Strife. It will come for you and drag you out of this hole you're putting yourself into."_

"I don't care."

"_You will. You always have. You can't stop."_

"I'll do what I have to."

"_That's all we can ask for."_

"**Until then, Cloud Strife, be a good little puppet and stay right where I need you to."**


	2. Clone

"It's all my fault."

"No it isn't."

"Don't kid around like that..."

"It's not your fault."

"I wasn't strong enough."

"Why is it always about strength? Couldn't it have just been fate?"

"I don't believe in fate."

"What about miracles?"

"I'm... not sure what you mean."

"You'll see, Cloud. You'll see in time what I mean."

"Aerith... I'm sorry."

(break)

The morning broke out, defying the tragedy that had taken the life a beloved young woman not a mere six hours ago. Cloud Strife sat alone, shivering in the crisp morning air as dawn awakened all of nature to her call. For a moment, the SOLDIER wanted to call out and bring the entire group to see this.

Until he remembered.

"It was my fault." he whispered. "I wasn't strong enough and you died."

Ghosts were his company most days. Soft whispers and ghostly echoes keeping him company waking or sleeping. There was never a moment when he didn't hear them.

Until now.

There was no soft breathing in his ear or heavy snoring to dredge his mind away from remembering.

He hated it. Every second of that loud silence where there was no gentle Aerith to drive away the pain...

Arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders and a warm weight pressed into his back. The scent of salt and wetness touched his bare neck as brown hair streamed into the sides of his vision. Tifa Lockhart pressed closer to the man she considered more precious then life itself to her. The last remaining reminder of what home had been.

"Cloud..." she whispered, tucking her face into his neck. "Don't think right now. Don't try and remember. Please..."

"I'm sorry." he whispered, tucking a hand into her streaming brown hair. "I'll... I will be strong enough. I won't fail again."

Tifa nodded softly. "We all loved her, Cloud and none of can think to blame you. It was **him** that did this and he'll pay."

"I know. I promise you." Cloud whispered fiercely. "There is nothing to stop me from taking him down for this. For Nibelheim... for you."

"I know." She whispered back. "Come inside. It's warmer in there."

"I... think I'll stay here just a bit longer." he answered.

"Then I'll stay too." she responded.

"Tifa..."

(break)

"**Don't pretend to actually care, puppet."**

"You don't know anything."

"**You're too weak to do anything about it. What will you do if I take that one next?"**

"Leave them out of it."

"**Then get them out of the way. It would be so easy, wouldn't it, puppet? To take that heavy weapon of yours and cut them down one by one."**

"No. No. Just... just shut up."

"**All will come in due time, puppet. Just wait and see. You will obey me in the end."**

"Never. Never. Do you hear me Sephiroth... You will pay."


	3. Doll

"**You were always such a fool."**

"Leave me be. Isn't it enough that you got what you wanted?"

"**Mmm. Never. I shall be a god and you, little puppet, will be destroyed along with the rest of Gaia. It's only a matter of time before..."**

"I'd say before what but I already know. You summoned It."

"**That's right. Meteor and you're in no state to save anyone this time. You really are too weak to do anything else."**

"Perhaps..."

"_Cloud... you have to wake up."_

"_Cloud, you promised me."_

"_Cloud."_

"_Cloud."_

"_**Cloud!"**_

(break)

A jolt of something shook the young man from his subconscious mind. He remembered the physical sensation that something wasn't quite right as he coughed and gasped for air. Dimly he recalled the presence of that woman as she clung to him. Weakly, he reached for her before she could submerge back into the whispering water and tugged her close.

"Please?" he begged. "Don't take her too."

Something pushed against him, shoving him towards the banks until his seeking feet found solid purchase. There, he clung to the shore and pulled them to safety. On dry land, under the malevolent glow of a red meteor he struggled to bring her back to him.

"Tifa," he whispered in a voice rough with disuse. "Tifa, please, wake up. I need you to wake up."

His head was bent forward, touching brow to brow as she coughed. Pushed to come back to her own body by the desperate call of someone dear to her. If not for that... If not for him...

"Cloud?" she whispered.

"Gaia, Tifa. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." he cried, tugging her shivering body into his own.

"It's al... right now." she whispered. "We're still... together."

"Always." he answered. "I won't ever let you go."

(break)

"**Well, that's annoying."**

"_You will never possess enough power to even possibly understand."_

"**In all due time, my dearest. I'm sure you already know what I want."**

"_Oh, I know well enough."_

"**Then stop fighting me."**

"_You will never win."_

"_**What kind of fool are you?"**_


End file.
